Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-03-04
A 40 LEDe Err. Ea
DrinkinH Among tho Early Gold Seekers
Of California.

Drinking Among the Early Gold Seekers
of California.
Among the papers Of the late jams
w. Marshall, the discovcrer Of gold In
California, was found the account-book
Of firm that carried on business In
Coloma in 40. This. as Is well known, Is
the place where gold was discovered.
The book is full Of charges Of merchan-
lise to various persons. and In this
aspect Is very much like an ordinary
lay-book, but 1t also served as a cash
book and general memorandum OF
all kinds OF transactions. The name Of
the firm was Shannon 4 Cady.
That the 49ers early began life OF
dissipation IL proved by tho fact that
the liquor trade OF thp firm exceeded
all the rest Of their business. There
were then as many Iii fferent kinds OF
liquors rs VIC have to day. Some OF
them were in greater demand than
others.
The following is tho order in which
they seem to have been preferred. to-
gcther with tho price per quart bottle:
Ale So; champagne cider, So; cham
pagnc, S12; brandy, SO; whisky, Sc Ros-
olio cordinls, 81; Stoughton bitters, Sc;
gin. SIS; claret. So; Silery. Sc; porter
| (pnt bOttles). 81; AbSnthe was sold, for
which five dollars a bottle was charged.
| Ale. gin, porter and claret wore abun-
| dant.
The following statement Of the first
| days sales recorded In the old book
| will give an idea. OF the amount OF
liquor sold by the firm, and also the
| general character of the business. or
| course, only credit sales were itcmizcd
| In the book, but no doubt the cash sales
| were ABOUT the same In character.
The amount OF credit sales for the
| first day was s20.50. or this S272 was
! tel. f<.u
vinegar and lemon syrup. and $ll 80 for
various small articles of hardware
Forty-six bottles of aIe were sold. two
bottles of champagne cider. and one
| bottle of brandy. Tho ule was much
more In demand than any other liquor.
| Whisky was either scarce or not o popu-
lar drink.
The first charge made to Marshall is
II bot. whisky, Sc" which was the first
whisky sold. This will cause many a
one to smilc who knows OF tho weak
ness that nfterward bllghted the poor
old mans life. His next purchase was
more creditablc to him $50 lbs. flour.
.25."
Among the debtors OF the firm the
name :" Pat DoOdy" occurs quite often.
| He was miner for there are many
credits for gold dust to his account.
For some time. at decent intervals. he
bought n moderate amount OF liz or,
but suddenly, one Wednesday, the
charges against him for alcoholic re-
freshments assumed alarming proper
lions.
That day his liquor bill was twenty
dollars; tho following day, twenty
three dollars; and up to next Tuesday.
or during six days. he spent ninety.
nine dollars for liquor. He did moi
confine himself to one kind, but bought
about equal proportions o. ale, claret
brandy, gin, and whisky, besides the
drinks. After this there Is sugges'
tive absence of the name of Pat Doody
from the books for several weeks.
Then on two consecutive days there
are two charges to "'P. Doody Thy Mrs
d." Womon, as everyone knows, were
scarce in the mines then, and this Is the
only woman named in the book. So i
seems that Pat had a wife. There cal
be no. doubt that this fearful week!
spree had Frustrated him, and at las
she had como to tho stora herself to
make some purchases. The first article
that she called for-or, at least. the
tlrst article charge-was, Whisky. 81.
The next day. among other articles she
got. Whisky. &C."
These are signs that Fat was coming
to II gain. He had. however. evidently
learned the lesson not to fool with
mixed drinks. but to stick to the good
oil Irish beverage. whisky. and go it
straight Although Mrs. Doody was
compelled to buy ten dollars worth OF
Whisky in two days for her Gonzales
ent husband she was much more
rusal in her purchases than he liz
yer been, for she had also bong
hirty dollars worth ofprovisions.
Two days after this up. Doody" makes
his appearance again, and Is charged
with, - box Scidiitz powders, $3.50.
This movc on tho part of Pat will bc
understood by any one who Is in the
least familiar with the habits Of the
topers in those times. These powders
were very much esteemed by them, and
We're taken as n means of regulating the
disturbed digestive apparatus after pro-
lonyed sprees. Innumerable boxes were
sold and two dollars and half box
waS invariably charrasi Il A rronaut